Peach-Orange! – Chapter 265 – The Next Step to Understanding a Yandere is Becoming One?

Memories are erroneous.

Yet within these erroneous memories, the logic remains sound.

Apart from relying on familiar people, Su Tao had also researched memory disorders on her own.

Even disordered memories operate based on realistic logic and mental reconstruction. Given Dongfang Yang’s personality, she would indeed act as depicted in Xiaocheng’s memories.

In the past, Su Tao wouldn’t have dwelled on it.

But after learning that Dongfang Yang’s bank card password was Chi Xiaocheng’s birthday… That blissful smile on Chi Xiaocheng’s face felt somewhat piercing.

Su Tao pursed her lips. Days of practicing her acting skills allowed her to barely conceal her inner thoughts. Forcing a smile, she said, “So that’s how it is. Dongfang Yang treats you really well, Xiaocheng.”

Chi Xiaocheng chuckled, as if the name had opened the floodgates of conversation. “Tao-Tao, you have no idea. Our boss is actually a tsundere. He acts all smart but is actually kinda dumb.

“Let me tell you, last time….

“And also, Dongfang Yang made me call him ‘boss,’ but actually, it’s because….

“Not just Dongfang Yang, even Si Chen! That guy looks all serious and proper on the surface, but actually….”

The topic shifted from “Where’s King?” to various incidents involving Dongfang Yang and Si Chen in her disordered memories.

What mattered was that Chi Xiaocheng spoke about these things with joy… filled with longing.

Su Tao wanted to shout that she was the better one. But she still lacked the courage to disrupt the status quo.

After all… those were just disordered memories, right?

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Even if Xiaocheng had a bit of a crush on Si Chen and Dongfang Yang, both of them had returned to the capital. This New Year’s Eve was her and Xiaocheng’s world alone!

With several days together, Su Tao refused to believe their relationship couldn’t improve.

They did nothing in particular, chatting from morning until noon. It wasn’t until lunch that Chi Xiaocheng brought up another matter.

“Sister Su Tao, for New Year’s this year, can we add one more member to our celebration?”

The moment these words were spoken, Su Tao immediately thought of one person, who was also the biggest threat to her.

Fang Ning!

‘Even during New Year’s… she’s going to intrude on my time alone with Xiaocheng?!’

Su Tao nearly jumped to her feet.

The word “No” was on the tip of her tongue, ready to burst out, but her abrupt movement jostled the table, causing a bowl of soup to spill.

Scalding broth splashed onto her hand, the pain momentarily overriding her panic.

But she had no time to clean it up, urgently asking, “Xiaocheng… who… who is this person you’re talking about?”

She was nervous, dreading to hear that name.

Chi Xiaocheng didn’t answer, her face instead showing concern. “Sister Su Tao, your hand….”

Su Tao quickly shook her head. “It’s nothing, just—”

“How can you say it’s nothing?!” Chi Xiaocheng’s expression turned serious. She grabbed tissues and rushed to Su Tao’s side. After wiping her hand, she pulled her toward the kitchen.

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“Your skin’s all red. Rinse it with cold water first. I’ll go get the ointment.”

The girl’s anxious back and swaying ponytail eased Su Tao’s unease.

‘Xiaocheng really cares about me!’

She lowered her head, seeing the reddened skin on her wrist. The stinging pain was hard to ignore.

But after the pain came the sight of the girl she cherished, flustered and worried.

“Ah… there’s barely any burn ointment left, and it’s all watery. I can’t even squeeze it out!

“I think oil might work too. Sister Su Tao, hang on, let me look it up.”

Perhaps due to panic, Chi Xiaocheng’s movements were clumsy. But Su Tao found herself strangely fond of seeing her so flustered.

The one Xiaocheng was flustered over was her. In the past, it had always been Su Tao treating Xiaocheng’s injuries.

Now, even though Su Tao knew how to quickly treat her own burn, she didn’t want it to heal easily. She wanted to see more of Xiaocheng’s reactions.

A peculiar smile unconsciously crept onto Su Tao’s lips. After rinsing her hand under cold water for a while, Su Tao suppressed her smile and softly asked, “Xiaocheng, how does it look now?”

Chi Xiaocheng sighed, putting down her phone. “We don’t have the right ointment. Let me do some emergency treatment first, then I’ll go buy some.”

With that, she led Su Tao to the sofa. She had Su Tao sit down and took her arm.

A faint blush rose on her cheeks.

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Chi Xiaocheng licked her lips, somewhat shy. “I… I read online that saliva can help with burns. It’s just… just emergency treatment. Don’t… don’t find it gross.”

Before Su Tao could process this bold statement, the girl lowered her head. A tingling sensation spread across her arm. Tea-colored hair flowed down, obscuring Xiaocheng’s equally flushed earlobes.

……

After the treatment and bandaging, Su Tao had completely forgotten about the “new member” Xiaocheng mentioned earlier.

Did the burn hurt?

It did.

But Su Tao felt inexplicably happy.

Before, she hadn’t understood why Xiaocheng would self-harm in her disturbed state. Now, she could empathize.

‘When I’m hurt, the one I care about will focus on me.’

‘Heh, how despicable!’

‘But… it’s not so bad, is it?’

This moment was Su Tao’s private “sweetness.” But it didn’t last long before Chi Xiaocheng returned to the earlier topic.

Perhaps to mask her embarrassment, she turned her head away and said, “Sister Su Tao, I just thought… celebrating New Year’s with just the two of us might be a bit boring, so I….”

Before she could finish, a loud meow came from outside the floor-to-ceiling window, drawing both their attention.

Turning, they saw that King had returned.

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Somehow finding her way up, the fifth-floor window was no obstacle for her. But aside from King, another white figure leaped onto the balcony alongside her.

“Meow!”

King meowed outside the window, scratching at the glass as if demanding to know why it was closed. Her inability to return home was all because the windows were shut.

Having seen the white ragdoll cat King brought along before, Chi Xiaocheng wasn’t too surprised. She stood up and walked toward the balcony.

Watching this, Su Tao sighed in relief.

‘So that’s it, the “new member” Xiaocheng mentioned was this ragdoll cat.’

‘Makes sense. She said “new member,” not “person.”’

‘Hah, scared me for a second. I thought it was Fang Ning.’

“….”

For some reason, Su Tao glanced at the tightly shut door, a sense of absurdity and unease rising within her.

New Year’s was supposed to be her and Xiaocheng’s world alone.

She didn’t want any third wheel interfering.

Looking at Fang Ning without bias, she was quite a well-behaved girl.

So surely… it couldn’t be her, right?